Choosing Earl Greys
I haven’t ever had an Earl Grey except in a teabag at a restaurant, who knows how hot the water was, how long they had the teabag in before they brought it out. I wasn’t impressed. But I want to get over it.. where do I start? Where have you had good luck buying a bunch of different Earl Greys, so I can save on shipping. The descriptions sound so good but I can’t decide where to start. Thanks in advance.
Adagio has several earl greys, and does sample sizes – and also has a social sharing function that lets you add a free sample to your order if you share it on Facebook.
Earl grey is so popular, there’s probably a decent selection of brands in the grocery too, in tea bags. I like Twinings myself.
Not really a recommendation but some things to consider. Earl grey can be pretty diverse. Do you prefer stronger or subtler flavouring in your tea? Do you prefer or dislike fruity, spicy or floral teas? Do you like certain bases is Ceylon’s pretty normal, but I have had EG made with Assam, Darjeeling, yunnan’s, various Chinese teas, Nigrili etc? Do you tend to add milk and sugar? Are you looking for a classic Earl Grey, or are you interested in trying variations is Earl Grey Cream etc? Thinking about these may help us point you to a tea that might be more in your comfort zone.
Yikes!! Too many choices! I tend to prefer stronger flavoring, prefer fruity, spicy and floral teas. I often add sweetener, rarely milk. I should start with a good quality classic EG but then would like to expand to variations such EG Cream. I don’t know if that narrows it down much. Thanks in advance!
Upton sells a bajillion types, since you asked about one spot to try many different kinds. Harney has many different types too, and Lupicia as well. My personal favorites (but as yyz mentioned EG preferences are very…personal) include Teajo Teas Silky Earl Grey (bold from the assam tea base but smooth too), Upton Imports Season’s Pick Earl Grey Creme Vanilla (super duper creamy), Upton Imports Lavender Earl Grey (extremely floral scent), American Tea Room Victoria (very girly floral Earl-ish blend, lotsa rose), Harney and Sons Viennese Earl Grey (lighter than most), Zen Tea Earl Grey Cream, Della Terra Earl Grey Creme, American Tea Room Earl Grey Rooibos (ok/decent when it’s 10pm but you crave the taste of EG), Lupicia Earl Grey Grand Classic (which heads up bears little resemblance to what we think of as EG these days; it’s smoky and has Chinese longan fruit), and Verdant Earl of Anxi (doesn’t really taste much like EG either, hard to describe, it has frankincense! Puts me in a meditative mood).
If you wind up liking very bergamot-y Earls, Todd and Holland offer double AND triple bergamot EGs!
I agree that Earl Greys can be very diverse. I have had a few samples of different kinds from Adagio and enjoy being able to order samples from them. I have also tried some of Davids. They were obsessed with their Cream of Early Grey and convinced me to buy an oz. I hated it. And certain Early Greys are among my favorite teas. It really depends on preference.
Since you said you like fruity and floral flavors I can recommend River Tea’s Marquis de Gris (it mixes mango, roses, and the usual bergamot, it is probably my favorite non-traditional Earl) and for a traditional Earl I would recommend Golden Moo Tea’s Earl Grey, it has a strong Bergamot but not one that kicks you in the face, plus the base tea they use is quite yummy.
Haven’t tried that blend in particular, but I definitely vouch for the company! I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve had thus far!
I would say if you want to try a bunch of samples of different types of Earls your best bet is to hit Upton first. It will probably give you an idea of what’s out there, plus a pretty good example of a classic Earl. Or find someone who has a lot of Earls in their cupboard to swap with! At one point that would have been me because I went on a search for my perfect Earl, but then I found it and now I have very few.
One thing no one has asked: what was it that you didn’t like about the EG at the restaurant? Weak, flavorless, bitter, sour, astringent? Some people (like myself) LOVE bergamot, and so I want a very bergamotty Earl, but others only want a bit of bergamot (or none at all, haha).
Good question about the EG I had previously. It’s been a while but I remember it being bitter and somewhat astringent. I’m not sure what bergamot tastes/smells like so I’m at a loss about whether I like it.
To me, EG is supposed to be somewhat astringent, but not bitter. If you like citrus fruits, then likely that you would like Bergemot. (Same family.)As others have suggested, if you have not, check your local grocery stores to see if there are any bagged tea brands, (Like for instance: I grew up on Bigelow’s Earl Grey.) Also, see if there any coffee shops/tea shops that serve/sell EG. Around here there is a chain coffee shop called Biggby’s that has a few varieties of Harney & Sons Tea. One of the best EG was a Latte from one the locations. It was H&S EG Supreme. (Or might have been Imperial.)
Bergamot to me tastes warm as most citruses do, a clean, fresh scent. sharp and an underlying sweetness, depending on the fruit itself.
Perhaps a collection of Earl Grey recommendations & reviews may be of some assistance?
- http://steepster.com/discuss/4693-favorite-earl-grey-and-eg-cream-loose-teas?page=1
- http://steepster.com/discuss/4693-favorite-earl-grey-and-eg-cream-loose-teas?page=3 (most recent review links)
Also be sure to check out LiberTeas, one of the SororiTea Sisters, who is a big EG fan & has reviewed many EG teas.
My favourite earl greys so far are Justeas version and Teajo teas. I have an everyday well balanced earl grey that I probably drink the most from CJay teas in Canada. They do have a wide variety of earl greys but I checked there shipping and it’s a little ridiculous to the US, even if the tea itself is really affordable. But for Canadians they ate found at cJaytea.com. The above recommendations are well thought out. Teagshwendner has a variety of earl greys as well. If you’re near Chicago it might be worth checking them out as well.
Agree with others who suggested samplers or samples. A number of places offer sampler sets with different types of Earl Greys. Upton, which Dinosaura mentioned, used to have a set of four tins of different types, and Todd & Holland, which ifjuly mentioned, also has a set I think (or maybe I just bought a bunch of individual samples). They may still offer those. You’ll know bergamot when you smell/taste it-it’s the citrus scent/flavor in Earl Grey. Some people like it really strong, I prefer mine a bit more subdued. Earl Grey cremes have vanilla in them, which takes the edge off the bergamot. Lady Greys are generally speaking more mild all around. Then there are Earl Grey Lavenders and other more exotic examples. Have fun!
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